Manchester City have reason to be satisfied after their season but changes this summer could alter that
A professional athlete, clad in a blue and white jersey, exuberantly celebrates a pivotal moment during a high-stakes match. The backdrop reveals a densely packed stadium, indicative of the intense atmosphere and fervent support from the audience.
Nico O'Reilly(Image: Getty Images)
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When Manchester City's academy director Thomas Krucken reflected on the season, his first thought was for minutes rather than trophies. Instead of talking about any of the titles won by the youth teams over the last few years, he spoke about the impact on the senior side.
"First for me, it's about the minutes of academy graduates around the first team. It's 12,500 minutes this season - we increased the number of minutes by around 75 per cent on the last three years, which is incredible to see."
It is an impressive number, and if City can have anything like that next season they will be happy. That is certainly a possibility; Nico O'Reilly looks like a first-teamer who can play every week, Phil Foden will be looking to add to his tally and there are a number of promising youngsters who can add to the overall sum.
As much as Foden and O'Reilly can be relied upon though, City know that they need more - not just in minutes but in terms of players. The Premier League and the Champions League dictate that all clubs must have a set number of homegrown players if they want to have a full squad of 25.
Looking at City's group, James Trafford and Rico Lewis would currently add to the quota of club-trained players yet neither can be guaranteed to be staying at the club beyond the summer transfer window. Trafford wants to be a No.1 goalkeeper and Lewis barely got any game time over the second half of the season.
Even if the regulations aren't enough to block transfers, they are enough to make Hugo Viana pause to make sure that City have the numbers that they need to get the right squad for each competition. Players such as Max Alleyne become more attractive in the conversation for centre-backs, for instance, when considering that he would be eligible for all competitions in a way that not everyone would.
It won't get the headlines of Elliot Anderson or a new winger, yet it is a backdrop that will need to be addressed over the summer to ensure City are where they need to be. If any homegrown players do leave this summer, it may not just affect a statistic at the end of the season but could have a real impact on City's transfer strategy.